One Knight Stand (Midnight Empire: The Tower Book 4) by Annabel Chase

Author:Annabel Chase [Chase, Annabel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Red Palm Press LLC
Published: 2022-02-02T16:00:00+00:00

11

Kami, Briar, and I waited in front of the gatehouse and tried not to look conspicuous, which was kind of hard given our multitude of weapons. A black sedan pulled up to the curb and the driver’s side window lowered.

“One of you is Miss Hayes, I presume.” The driver looked about fifty albeit with a cherubic face and eyelashes that a doe would envy.

“Who wants to know?” I asked.

“My name is Morris. The prince asked me to collect you.”

Kami aimed her crossbow. “Which prince determines whether I hit you with a bolt between the eyes.”

Morris didn’t flinch. “Callan, miss. Prince Callan. I’m the caretaker for Alnwick Castle. He said you might need somewhere to stay during your quest.” He looked expectant. “You are knights, yes?”

Kami lowered her crossbow. “You’re offering us rooms in a castle?”

Briar looked at me, wide-eyed. “When you said royal welcome, I thought you were exaggerating.”

I shrugged. “So did I.”

“I’m not sure we should stay somewhere that belongs to Prince Maeron,” Kami said. “What if he turns up with his minions?”

Morris smiled, showing a set of surprisingly short fangs. “The castle belongs only to Prince Callan. It was a gift from King Casek on the prince’s sixteenth birthday.”

Kami shot me an aggrieved look. “I got a piece of bread with walnuts baked into it for my sixteenth birthday. That’s the same, right?”

“You don’t even like walnuts,” I pointed out.

“I know. Don’t you remember I had to spit them out? I felt like I was eating tiny brains.” She cringed at the memory.

I heard the click of doors unlocking and Morris said, “There’s ample room in the back for all three of you.”

Kami cocked an eyebrow. “Do we trust this guy?”

I nodded. “I’m perfectly willing to believe that Callan owns his own castle that he’s never mentioned.”

Morris stepped out of the car to open the back door. “Would you like me to store your weapons in the boot?”

Kami hugged her crossbow. “No thanks. It’s like my security blanket.” She ducked into the car. “Although I won’t object to a soft mattress and a fluffy pillow when we get there. Ooh, do you think there’ll be one of those big bathtubs with the claw feet? I’ve always wanted to take a bubble bath in one of those.”

Briar slid in beside her. “You do remember we’re here to find an ancient stone that could unleash chaos on the world?”

“And I’d be much better equipped to do that after a luxurious soak in a tub.”

“I’ll sit with you in the front if you don’t mind,” I said.

He bowed slightly. “I would appreciate the company, Miss Hayes.”

It took forty minutes to drive to Alnwick. I only realized we’d arrived when I noticed the silhouette of a sprawling castle ahead.

Kami stuck her head between the front seats for a better view. “It’s huge.”

“It dates from Norman times,” Morris said. “Belonged to the Duke of Northumberland until the Eternal Night fell. Then it sat empty until it was gifted to the prince. He invested heavily in repairs.

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